The Mary Rose’s remains had lain almost undisturbed for over four centuries, buried in the protective soft mud of the seabed just outside Portsmouth Harbour. Rediscovered in 1971, she became the subject of the world’s first-ever large-scale underwater archaeological excavation. Finally, on 11 October 1982, she was raised from the seabed in a daring salvage operation and returned to a disused dry dock in Portsmouth dockyard to begin a conservation programme still in progress today.
She was first sprayed with fresh water to flush the salt out of her timbers. Biocides were added to counter any biological threat. Finally, water-soluble wax was added to the sprays and the strength of the solution slowly increased, the wax helping to restore strength to the wood and fill any internal voids. Meanwhile, the artefacts raised during the excavation also underwent a variety of specialised conservation treatments.
In September 2009 the temporary ship hall covering the Mary Rose was closed so that work could begin on a new permanent museum. A temporary “hotbox” was built around the ship to protect it during the building works. The dry dock in which the Mary Rose sits posed its own challenges. It is a Grade 1 listed ancient monument in its own right, which meant that all the power cables, water pipes and ventilation ducts needed for the new building had to be placed on free-standing supports so as not to damage the dock floor or walls.
In April 2013, after 31 years, the sprays inside the hotbox were finally turned off and replaced by warm air pipes to begin the slow drying-out process. A month later, on 30 May 2013, the Mary Rose Museum opened to huge public and media acclaim. It has since won a host of local, national and international awards.
Did you know?
- The Mary Rose was commissioned in 1509, the year Henry ascended the throne of England, and built in Portsmouth. We do not know her launch date but records show she was in action during the French War of 1512-4.
- She underwent repairs between 1525-8 and an extensive refit in 1535-6. It was probably during these periods that extra gun ports were added. A 1514 inventory lists her with nine or ten heavy guns but, by the time of her sinking, she is listed as carrying 26.
- In the summer of 1545, England was at war with France. The French wanted to seize control of the English Channel and sent a force of 230 ships to attack the English fleet in Portsmouth.
- On 19 July, the two fleets joined battle just outside the entrance to Portsmouth Harbour and less than a mile from the beach at modern-day Southsea. The Mary Rose was seen to sail forward from the fleet to fire a broadside and was turning as if to fire the guns on her other side when she suddenly heeled to starboard and sank.
- Such was the speed of the sinking that fewer than three dozen of the 500 or more men on board survived. Most died at their stations on the lower decks or were trapped beneath the heavy anti-boarding netting stretched across her open upper decks.
- A search for her by amateur divers began in 1965, led by Alexander McKee, a local writer, diver and historian. They finally located her buried hull six years later, on 5 May 1971.
- Following an underwater archaeological excavation which lasted 11 years, the Mary Rose was raised on 11 October and towed to a disused dry dock in Portsmouth’s historic naval dockyard. The dock, less than 200 m from where the Mary Rose was built and since turned into a state-of-the-art modern museum, is now her permanent home.
- The day following the lift, divers sent down to examine the wreck site found the Mary Rose’s bell. It had rolled underneath the hull as it settled. The bell, still in pristine condition, carried the inscription, in Flemish, “I was made in 1510”. 503 years later, it became the last item to be placed in the Mary Rose Museum as part of the official opening ceremony.
The Mary Rose is now housed in a state-of-the-art museum, with views of the ship from three fully accessible levels. The story of the ship is told through the objects recovered, many of which are displayed opposite the ship in a mirror image of where they were originally found. The ship is brought to life further by projections of the crew onto the ship, showing how they worked, fought and lived on board. You also get to meet some of the crew, such as the carpenter, the surgeon, the master gunner and the officers, through the objects they owned, from the tools of their trades to the nitcombs, bowls and other personal items found on or around them. You even get to meet the ship’s dog, who was found outside the carpenter’s cabin.
While the main and lower levels of the museum are separated from the ship by glass, the top deck is open, accessible by airlock, allowing you be in the same space as the ship herself.